Painful Revelations
by NotFlyingWithOtters
Summary: Sara's been raped and Greg finds her. GSR from chapter 8.
1. Sara Sidle

I walked slowly out of the Clark County Police Department, the sunlight making me blink as it set over the horizon, glinting on all the cars in the nearly empty parking lot. My ears were still ringing thanks to that ass, Nick Stokes, who had decided to do a test fire before I'd had a chance to put on my ear defenders. I scowled and glared at the building I had just left, the smoked glass doors dark in the fading light. I turned back, pulling my car keys out of my bag and sighing with relief at the thought of the rest I was soon going to get. I started walking, the concrete hard beneath my feet when suddenly something grabbed me from behind and slammed me to the floor. I lay on the ground, winded, hearing footsteps come up behind me. A sudden, irrational fear overtook me, screaming at me to run. I scrambled to my feet, reeling and trying to get my breath back, pain blossoming in my side. I lurched around, tripping over someone's hand and dropped to the floor again. Strong hands grabbed me and pinned me to the ground, so sudden I couldn't even scream. A hand covered my mouth, causing me to breathe through my nose, so that I couldn't even try to scream without wasting my breath, and who knew how many of those I had left now? The hands released me, allowing me to curl up into the foetal position, drawing my knees up to my chest as I drew in ragged breaths. Each breath teased out a ragged whimper from my lips as pain stabbed across my side. A hand covered my mouth, forcing my head to the concrete as soft cotton was bound tightly over my eyes, blocking out the rest of the light, blinding me. I reached out blindly, aiming for anywhere, hoping I could connect with flesh. I didn't. However, I felt a sharp pain slice diagonally down my palm as the cold steel of a knife bit into my hand. I let out a gasp that was quickly smothered by a gloved hand over my mouth, forcing any other sounds from being bottled up inside.

'You make a sound bitch, and I will kill you.' I heard his voice hiss into my ear, and flinched from him, trying to get away from his grip. He pinned my hands to the floor, binding them together with a thick, scratchy rope that burnt my skin as I tried to move my wrists slightly. The man let go of my wrists, rocking back and straddling me, his gloved hand reaching down and unbuttoning my shirt. I realised what was going to happen and bucked, trying to unseat him, to stop what was about to be happen. The steel sliced into my stomach and I flinched, blood splattering on the pavement. The man reached behind my back and unlatched my bra, letting it fall open and ride up. I bucked and twisted every time he touched me, knowing for certain that I was going to be raped. I felt his hands rove down my thighs, pressing down hard enough to make a bruise. I trembled as he pulled the zipper on my jeans down, yanking my panties down with them. I tried to direct my mind away from him, but he kissed me, forcing my lips open, shoving his tongue as far as he could down my throat as he did so, hands pinching my skin. I tried to close my mouth, wanting him out, away from me, but he pressed himself closer to me until I could feel his erection. I heard a zipper being pulled down, tears soaking the thick cotton gag as he knelt beside me. I tried so hard to direct my mind away from the violation taking place below my waist I almost believed it wasn't happening. Until he grabbed my hair and pulled it, wrapping his hands in it. I felt tears leak from my eyes again as the pain grew more intense. I didn't make a sound, knowing that if I did, he would kill me. I felt his gloved hands along my sides, rubbing the blood down them, slick and sticky against my naked skin. I closed my eyes tightly, hoping that the pain would lessen, until blackness blurred my vision and I felt unconsciousness claiming me…

**TBC… R&R and I'll love you forever!**


	2. Greg Sanders

As I walked into the car park, I noticed something odd: Sara's car was still here. But… she'd left ages ago, at least two hours before I did. I decided to investigate, walking quickly to where her car was. The night had fully fallen and the streetlights lit up the quiet car park, casting an orange glow over my surroundings.  
'Sara?' I called, my voice cracked and hoarse, whispering. There was no answering call, though I doubted she would have heard me, how quiet I was being. I cleared my throat and licked my dry lips, the cool air instantly drying them again. Then I saw her, lying spread-eagled on the ground, her shirt undone and her pants ripped.

'Sara!' I choked, the words catching in my throat. I ran quickly to her side, the scene I was seeing making me feel sick to my stomach. There was blood congealing on the pavement, bright spatters of it. I knelt by her side, uncaring about the blood soaking through the knees of my jeans.

'Oh Sara…' I whispered, moved to tears. I reached out a hand and stroked her hair, pulling back as she flinched away from me, a whimper escaping her lips. I gently brushed the hair from her face, revealing an angry bruise forming under her eye. A tear dripped from my cheek and landed in her hair. I slid a hand behind her head, my heart breaking as she tried to fight me, her weak sobs causing spike of pain to lance my heart. My best friend, lying on the ground, violated and in pain. I felt a sudden flare of anger rise in my heart, wanting to hurt the man that had done this to her. I reached both my hands behind her head, tenderly undoing the knotted cotton, placing it on the ground beside me.

'Sara?' I whispered, my voice cracking as tears rolled like oil down my face. 'Sara? It's me, it's Greg.' Sara opened her brown eyes; eyelashes matted and stared up at me. I placed a hand behind her back, feeling her bra strap against my arm, scratching through my pale shirt. She started to cry, large tears rolling silently down her face as she collapsed against me, soaking the front of my shirt. I placed both my hands on her back, redoing her bra up, feeling her trembling form solid against me.

'Shh… Shh… Sara… it's okay… I'm here now, you're okay. Shh…' I whispered into her hair as she sobbed, wrapping her in my arms. She clung to me, scrabbling for hold on my shirt as the blood on her hands made them slip off. Blood… I pushed her away for a second, laying her down on the ground, comforting her, reassuring her. I rolled her blood-streaked shirt up and took my own off, forming a pad to press to her wound. She clung to my arms as I lifted her to her feet, afraid she'd fall.

'Trust me.' I asked her, pulling her pants up and buckling them gently, careful not to cause her any more pain. She nearly fainted, even as I only brushed her stomach. 'I'm sorry.' I whispered, gently stroking her cheek, the bruise on her face red and angry. She nuzzled into me, pushing her face into my chest and sobbing, her tears falling onto my chest. I stroked her hair and rubbed her back, running my fingers over a clearly visible bruise on her ribs.

'Oh Sar'.' I muttered, kissing the top of her head. She wasn't my best friend any more; she was the sole object of my attention. She wrapped her arms around my back, lacing her fingers together as she pressed herself against me, running her fingers over the vertebrae in my back. I shuddered and she pressed her face to my chest, tears landing on my tanned skin.

'Sara… you need to get to hospital. Just trust me okay?' she looked up at him with a tear streaked face and nodded slowly. I lifted her into my arms, my heart breaking as she flinched when I touched her wound. 'Sorry.' I muttered to her. She shook her head and tensed herself against me, removing my shirt from her stomach.

'You need it.' Her voice was hoarse, cracked with pain. I stroked her forehead gently, cradling her against my chest. She slipped her hand behind my neck and nuzzled her face into my shoulder. I could feel her heartbeat, light and rapid like that of a frightened animal. I softly brushed her arm, wiping away the streaks of blood.


	3. Sara Sidle 2

I was cradled in Greg's arms, uncaring about the pain below my waist and across my stomach. Greg was holding me and that was all that mattered. I could feel the blood soaking Greg's shirt that he had made into a pad to stop the bleeding. I peeled it off of my stomach, flinching as it pulled the congealed blood from my abdomen. He was going to take it, but I wrapped my fingers around his neck, gently brushing his cheek. He was my best friend, and he didn't care that right now I was a mess. I nuzzled my face into his neck, hitting the long purple bruise as I did so, causing pain to web across my cheek. Greg looked down at me and clutched me closer to his chest, holding me, making me feel secure for the first time since that man had raped me.

'What did he do to you?' Greg asked softly, his breath moving my hair gently.

'He… he… raped me.' I said, my voice breaking and tears rolling down my cheek; saying it made it so real. Greg's face crashed and he squeezed my arm gently, around the bruises. I sobbed loudly, pressing my face into his chest.

'Shh… Sara… I'm going to put you down now, okay? I'm sorry if I hurt you when I'm doing it. But I promise I'll take you to hospital and you'll get better. But Sar'… you're part of a criminal investigation now okay?' he asked me, voice barely penetrating my lucid thoughts. I nodded slowly, the effort making me curl up against him, my hand directly over his heart. I felt him shudder as my cold hands touched his wonderfully warm and smooth skin. He opened the door to his car, placing me gently on the seat, mindful off my cuts and bruises. I took his shirt off my stomach.

'Greg!' But my voice was barely more than a whisper, and when he opened his door he was wearing a clean black shirt. He gently brushed my arm, showing tenderness that the animal in the parking lot hadn't. I drew my knees up to my chest, the bloodied cut on my hand sliding over the thick denim of my jeans. Greg looked down at me, tears rolling down his cheeks.

'Oh Sar…' He whispered as I turned my hand over, exposing the long, shallow cut on my palm. I sniffed and wiped my eyes, leaving streaks of blood across my tear stained face. The effort it took for that made me weak and I felt the blood dripping onto the seats, and then Greg's panicked voice. 'Sara! Sara! Stay with me! Sara!'

--

I could feel pain in my hand and stomach, a dull ache that permeated every cell of my being until it became unbearable. I opened my eyes and groaned as I felt the pain shoot through me again. There was a pressure on my hand.

'Greg?' I muttered, the word hard to get out, slow and heavy in my mouth. I felt the pressure return on my hand.

'Here for you Sara.' I looked up at saw his face, tear tracks running down it, streaking the lightly tanned flesh.

'Where am I…?' I muttered, confused, just wanting to sleep. I suddenly noticed I was lying on a bed in a room that smelt strongly on disinfectant. 'Hospital.' I answered my own question with a grimace.

'You have to have stitches…' Greg trailed off as I felt the blood drain from my face. Stitches? I was terrified of suture needles. My pulse quickened and sweat slid down my back. Greg squeezed my hand as the first stitch went through, another agonising pain. I arched my back and he slowly stroked my forehead, his warm hand comforting me. I felt an IV needle slide into my arm, the momentary pain replaced with a dull ache. I looked up and saw a bag of blood hanging on the IV stand. Greg was looking at me, a sheepish grin on his face. Greg's blood? I saw the plaster on the inside of his arm and smiled. He caught me looking and blushed, the delicate flush on his face making him irresistible. I reached for his hand.

'Greg… thank you.' I said quietly, my mouth dry. He smiled and took my hand.

'Anytime.'


	4. Gil Grissom

I reached sleepily for my phone, the incessant ringing filling my head. After three rings and a huge yawn, I raised it to my ear.

'Grissom.' Even at eleven at night I sounded professional, even after a nap.

'Grissom, it's Greg.' I groaned inwardly, but it could be worse, I mused. It could be Hodges.

'What's wrong Greg?'

'We have a case?' I felt affronted and was determined to let it show.

'What do you mean? I though I gave the cases around here.'

'Fine. You have a case. I can't work it.' I was silent for a moment.

'And why is that?' There was a long silence.

'Because Sara's been raped and I found her. I'm at the hospital now, send Catherine over to do an SAE kit or something.' I was silent as I digested this.

'I… Sara? Raped? Sure… I'll take it with Catherine. She'll be there soon.' I folded the phone down, feeling it slip from my nerveless fingers. I ran my hair through my, admittedly tight, yet unruly curls. Sara? Raped? It didn't make sense. And Greg with her. My head was spinning. I reached down to the floor and picked my phone up, making a mental decision to visit Sara as soon as the SAE kit had been completed by Catherine. She answered on the first ring.

'It's Willows.' Her tired voice said through the tinny speakers.

'Cath, it's Grissom. We have a case.'

'Really. That's nice. Can it wait?' She asked, yawning.

'It's not nice and no it cannot. You're going to the hospital to do an SAE kit on a rape victim.' Catherine instantly shot awake, and I heard the phone clatter to the floor.

'Sorry Griss, dropped my phone.' She said quickly, and I heard the sound of a zipper being drawn up.

'That's okay Cath… but be aware, she's on of our own.' I heard the phone drop to the floor for the second time that night, then a pregnant silence that hung in the air between us. Catherine suddenly found her voice.

'One of… one of ours?' she asked incredulously, and I could almost imagine her standing in her bedroom, running a hand through her blonde hair as she tried to make sense of what I was saying.

'Yes…' I replied, my voice dropping to a hoarse whisper.

'Who?' The question that had graced my lips fell from Catherine's, hanging in the air between us. I broke the silence with loud breath out and a quiet sigh as I tugged on my jacket.

'Sara.' I heard a sharp intake of breath and once again hers the sound of a phone clattering against panelled wood flooring.

'Sorry again… Sara? Wow…' I heard her trail off and take a deep breath in.

'Catherine… get to the hospital. Any evidence needs to be collected and quickly.' I told her. She paused for breath and as she did so I reprimanded her slightly. 'And Cath? Don't drop your phone so much. The department wont pay for a new one.'

'Sorry Griss. I'll keep it in mind,' she replied sarcastically, sliding her phone shut. I sat on the edge of my bed, feeling uselessness wash over me in waves, crashing in my head.

**TBC I promise!**


	5. Greg Sanders 2

I held Sara's hand as the needle threaded its way through her skin, closing up the still bleeding wound on her abdomen. At every new entrance of the needle, I felt with a mixture of fear and pain, felt her clench my hand tightly in hers. When the nurse finished tying up the stitches neatly and wrapping a clean white bandage around her midriff she was pale and clammy, flinching back against me every time a male member of staff walked past, forehead damp with a cold sweat. I softly stroked the back of her hand with my thumb; a gentle pressure as she lay huddled against me. She leaned back against the headboard; closing her dark eyes and breathing shallowly, sweat breaking out on her forehead.

'Hey, are you okay? I asked her quietly, immediately cursing myself. 'Stupid question.' I smiled weakly but she had her eyes closed, moving weakly behind her closed lids. She groaned weakly and scrabbled for my hand over the rumpled bedclothes, fingers squeezing tightly. I held it firmly, wincing as she clenched her fingers over it. She opened her beautiful dark eyes, glazed with tears, make-up running in streaks below them and sat bolt upright, sweat trickling down her neck. She lurched forward, wrenching her hand from my grip and retching, spasms shaking her body like electric shocks. I pushed her hair back from her face and shouted for a nurse, my voice heard by a plump woman from down the ward. She ran to Sara's bedside, a plastic bowl in hand and held it under Sara's face. I held her hair back and away from her face… wow… holding a girl's hair as she threw-up, something I hadn't done in a long time. I dredged the memory from the black hole also known as my brain. Her name was Jess… Jess Pitcher. This was in college. I groaned as I remembered just how much we had drunk that night. Enough to make her violently ill anyway. She had long blonde hair with dark coloured streaks running through it, and enough make-up to sink a small fleet of army battleships. I could remember holding her hair in my hand as she threw up in my toilet. I grimaced at the memory, sending a shiver down my spine that made Sara shake. Sara's gasp for breath drew me back to the present, back to her. I stroked the back of her neck with a finger, sending chills down her spine as she sat back up, her face ashen.

'I'm sorry…' she whispered sadly, voice catching in her throat. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her to me, rubbing her arm with the back of my hand.

'It's okay Sara.' I muttered, kissing the top of her hair.

'No, it's not okay! You shouldn't have to deal with this, with me! I must've done something for someone to do this to me and it's not your fault! I wish you'd never found me… never had to see me like this.' She said sadly, angrily spitting the words at me. I recoiled in shock.

'Sara… you don't mean that.' I said, tears breaking my voice.

'I do Greg! I do… I'm sorry.' She turned away from me. I turned her face to mine.

'Sara! I do not regret any of this.' I said hurriedly, grabbing her hands.

'Greg… you should!' She spat at me, tears falling down her face.

'Sara, please believe me. I think that I can cope with this. I'm glad I found you; you'd be dead if I didn't. Please trust me.' I begged her, stroking her face. She turned to me.

'Do you mean that? Really and truly?' She asked me, dashing the tears away with a shaking hand.

'Honest to God.'


	6. Catherine Willows

My head was spinning out of control like a tornado; whirling around so fast I couldn't make any sense of it. I was completely in shock, unable to even try and comprehend what had happened. Sara? Raped? It just made no sense to me at all. Sara was such a sweet person, so kind and nice to be around. The thought of someone doing that to her made me want to vomit, someone violating and abusing her in that way. The thought alone was enough to make bile rise in my throat. It made me think of Lindsay, away at college. If someone had done that to her… I shook myself mentally and was brought back down to earth by my own heartbeat, reminding me how little time I had left. I wanted my daughter, she was the reason I did this, she made me feel as if my job had a purpose and everything I did, every criminal I captured, was for her – keeping her safe. Right now I wanted Lindsay to be there, to hold me and tell me that my friend was okay. But I had to be strong for Sara, for Lindsay, for anyone else I knew that needed me. I slid my department issue phone from my pocket, which, recently, had hit the floor more than usual, and opened up a blank message. I quickly tapped one in, no easy feat in acrylic nails.

'Please get the hospital to prepare a room for the SAEC kit.' And sent it, slipping my phone back into the pocket of my tight jeans. I didn't want to ever have to send that and mean it to be about my friend, never. Never to a colleague or to a nurse at the hospital. And I definitely didn't want it to be about my closest friend and the only other woman on the team, never Sara. As these thoughts swirled through my head, I became aware that I had arrived at the crime scene and I had parked on autopilot. I slid out of my car and walked up to the crime scene tape, lifting the yellow plastic with one finger.

'Grissom?' I called, wanting… no needing to find out what had happened here, to see it for myself.

'Catherine? Oh thank God you're here. Get down to the hospital now and collect the evidence on Sara. It's already been compromised by Greg…' I nodded, still unable to believe the violence that had happened here. Grissom handed me my vest and I shoved it over my head, mussing up my already explosive hair. I walked slowly back to my car, avoiding pools of dark blood with slight uneasiness. Grissom walked me back, babbling incessantly about how scared he was. I could feel my already short temper becoming shorter, like a lit fuse.

'Grissom! Shut up okay! We're all scared but we've got to stay focussed for her! How do you expect us to solve a case if you, the coolest and most collected person here, loses themself? We can't.' Grissom could not have looked more shocked if I'd slapped him, I was usually so calm and collected but this strain had taken its toll on me.

'Catherine…' He began, but I placed a hand over his mouth and then the other over my own mouth, ashamed of what I'd said. I removed it and sighed.

'I'm sorry Griss.' I whispered, belatedly noticing the hurt I had just caused him. What a great CSI I was, I couldn't even tell when I was hurting somebody any more. 'I shouldn't have snapped at you but I'm just so worried about her… I'm sorry.' I removed my hand from his mouth, staring hopelessly at the floor, ashamed to look into his face. He took my hand loosely in his own and squeezed softly.

'I understand Cath.' He told me. I looked up at him and saw that tears were slowly trickling down his cheeks.

'I wish you didn't have to.' I opened the door of my car and swung myself in, shutting out the familiar sounds of the crime scene and turning my back on it.'

**oOo**

I sat patiently in the empty room, my feet not quite touching the edge of the large sheets of plain white paper covering the faded lino floor. I jumped as I heard the door open and turned to face my friend. She looked away, drowning in the over large hospital gown that reached her ankles. I wanted to hold her tightly and tell her everything was okay but the words stuck in my throat and my arms wouldn't respond. I averted my eyes respectfully as she removed the gown, showing off a firework display of bruises and scratches that scored down her arms and stomach. She shivered violently as my gloved hands touched her skin, tracing the bruises that appeared ever more horrendous the longer I looked at them. The top of her abdomen was encased in a tight bandage, blood already seeping through the many layers. I gently ran over the cotton with my fingers and say tears form in her eyes as I exerted a tiny pressure.

'Oh Sara… I'm so sorry.' I whispered, placing a hand on each of her arms. She looked up at me and looked so pathetic and alone that I just wanted to hold her. 'I'm so sorry…' I whispered as I got her to sit on a plastic covered chair and scrape her fingernails. She stared blankly past me.

**It's been so long… and this chapter is longer so there we go. Enjoy ^_^**


	7. Nick Stokes

I knelt on the unforgiving concrete, my knees already feeling painful, even through the thick denim material of my jeans. I tried to arrange my kit without moving too much, avoiding the obscene, and dark until nearly black puddles of congealing blood on the pavement by her car. I chanced a glance at Grissom as he sat on the cold floor by the wheel of his car, head in his hands.

'Griss?' I whispered softly, reaching for his dark blue windbreaker-clad arm and leaving it loosely on the slippery material of his sleeve.

'Hey.' His voice was cracked and strained, broken by the tears that had recently stained the knees of his black work trousers.

'Are you okay?' I asked gently, tightening my grip momentarily on his sleeve for reassurance.

'I just… when this happens to my team, to someone I care about… I don't know why it happens and it hurts me so much…' He swallowed softly and instantly I knew that it wasn't the whole truth.

'You love her don't you?' I gasped; for so long I'd thought of my boss as someone who could never love another human being. I never thought he'd fully comprehend the commitment, yet here he was, face crumpling as I said those words. His calculatingly intelligent mind finally understood love and it was hurting him so much that he could barely stand it. He looked at me, sadness etched in every line on his face.

'Yes…' He admitted softly, his voice breaking as he told me. He dropped his gaze once again to the floor and analysed the lurid splatters of drying blood on the ground.

'Oh Griss…' I whispered, reaching for him in order to reassure him. He fell forwards and I caught him, embracing him tightly. 'Griss I'm so sorry this happened… but you can't work this case, you know that right?' He looked at me as if I was speaking a foreign language.

'I can't work the case?' He repeated hollowly, uncomprehending.

'You can't.' I repeated forcefully, but unwilling to cause him more pain than what I'd already inflicted by finding out his secret.

'What else am I going to do? Paperwork? Greg can't and Sara can't. Catherine and you can't do it alone. I have to do this.'

'We can hand it over to Ecklie…' I knew this was a bad move when his anger flared up again.

'Are you joking? I can't hand over my best friends case to Ecklie! If anyone knew what happened to her they'd never leave her alone. No, we're taking this case. I don't care if I'm emotionally involved or not.' I stared at him, properly stared.

'Okay Grissom. We'll take this case. But I'll supervise okay?' It was a bold move coming from me, but he just smiled and agreed, peering at a splatter on the pavement.

**oOo**

I sat in the hospital, my now irritated supervisor sitting next to me, shuffling his feet slightly. We were both wondering the same thing: 'How long does an SAEC kit take?' of course we both knew the answer. But Catherine seemed to be dragging it out. Grissom wanted to see her, I could tell. His head jerked up as the door opened and Sara walked out, drowning in the too big hospital gown. I could only watch as he leapt up and walked swiftly to her, wrapping her in his arms as tears streamed down her face.


	8. Sara Sidle 3

I stiffened as he touched me, all to aware of my bruised and battered body being surveyed by his penetrating gaze. He softly rubbed circles on my back, his gentle touch persuading me to relax, bringing me to tears again. I pressed my face into his shoulder, aware that I was soaking the plain black cotton of his soft tee. He softly stroked my back, my arms and my hair, warming me. I was completely unaware that I was shivering until a soft blanket was draped around us by Nick, holding in our heat, keeping my shivering from becoming too obvious. Grissom kissed my forehead, his taller form holding mine close in a protective gesture. The momentary skin-to-skin contact made me shiver; not with revulsion but with gratitude. I heard the click of men's shoes down the corridor and pressed myself against him, forcing him to hold me tightly. He complied instinctively, his arms forming a protective barrier behind me. The wound on my abdomen twinged and throbbed as I pressed myself closer to my supervisor, uncaring about how it might affect the future. The future for me right now was just moments, something flexible, fluid, ever changing. He pulled back, removing the blanket from him and wrapping it tighter around me and sitting on the hard bench that ran along the wall next to Nick. I mewed in distress and scrabbled for his hand, wanting, no, needing the contact between us to remain constant. He stood again and took my hand, exerting a minimal pressure on the back of it, not the palm, where the fifteen stitches holding the deep cut that raced across it shut. I buried my tear-stained face in his chest, wrapping my arms around his neck and shaking with sobs as a new memory crashed through me. Catherine left the room, resting a palm on Nick's shoulder and shooting sympathetic glances at me. She leant over, whispering in Nick's ear, blonde hair falling over her shoulder. He nodded once and led her out towards her car, shouldering the bag of evidence and placing a hand on the small of her back. Their easy relationship made me want to cry again, but I already felt bad about drenching Grissom's shirt the first time.

'Griss…? Where's Greg?' I whispered, my voice hoarse and shaky.

'Back at the lab honey.' He murmured, brushing my hair through his fingers. I was slightly in shock, my boss, Gil Grissom, hugging me and he called me honey? Had he really called me honey? He shrugged his shoulders and lifted me up, cradling me in his arms. I rested against his shoulder and felt myself slip away as sleep claimed me in its warm and safe embrace.

**oOo**

I awoke in a hospital bed, pain shocking through me until I felt like I was going to projectile vomit over the closest person to me, which, unfortunately appeared to be Gil Grissom. He placed a cool hand on my forehead, the mere touch and sound of his quiet breathing instantly calming me.

'Grissom?' I said weakly, pain choking the sound in my throat.

'I'm here.' He whispered, 'I'm here, what do you need?' He asked sympathetically. I smiled slightly and swallowed down the urge to vomit. Ugh, that tasted disgusting.

'How long have you been here?' I asked, ignoring the random stabs of pain as I pulled at the stitches in my stomach.

'As long as you've been asleep?' He answered with a small snort of laughter.

'And how long is that?' I fixed him with a steely glare. He turned his watch face and read it blearily.

'About ten hours… What do you need?' He asked again, rubbing his eyes with his hands. He reached a hand over and stroked my forehead, smoothing my hair out of my face.

'Morphine!' I gasped as a strangled cry escaped my lips.

'Where?'

'A button… on the drip stand.' I gasped, pain making me want to scream. He stroked my cheek softly and pressed the button releasing a welcoming flow of pain relief. I sighed and relaxed again, the excruciating pain already receding to a dull ache.

'Are you okay?' He asked worriedly.

'Honest truth? No, I don't think I ever will be again either to be perfectly honest with you. If you mean the pain, then yes, it's gone.' I slumped back against the pillows and closed my eyes weakly. Who knew talking was such an effort? I looked up at Grissom and was startled to see tears threatening to overflow and roll down his face in his eyes.

'Oh Sara…' He whispered, one finger tracing the tear trail brought on by the pain that had recently flared up. With a spontaneousity completely unlike him, Grissom leant over and placed a tender kiss on my lips.

'Grissom…?'


	9. Gil Grissom 2

Whoa… did I really just do that? Really just kiss the prone woman lying in front of me and completely unable to fight back? My brain was functioning on pure adrenaline, neurons imploding or exploding, whatever they do as they collide. Shit! Why did I kiss her? That was the last thing she would want right now. My mind was racing, cover stories chasing each other around in my head, each as feeble as the last. My stupid mind was so traumatised right now I didn't know what to say.

'Grissom…?' I heard Sara's voice and began to panic; palms sweating and heartbeat quickening. I was such an idiot!

'Sara?' Well that sounded okay didn't it? No quaver to my voice, no nervous shake that might give me away. We're doing okay. Only in my dreams.

'What was that?' Straight to the point, direct. A clear question that had me want to sink into the ground and disappear.

'That was… uh… a kiss?' I said hopefully.

'No Grissom… that was a pathetic attempt at a kiss.' I looked up at her. Was she angry? She didn't sound it. It took me a moment to realise she was speaking again.

'This is a kiss.' She whispered, struggling to sit up. Her voice was so quiet, almost a whisper and I looked up, and realising that had been her plan all along. Her lips crashed onto mine with a tenderness I hadn't expected. Her teeth grazed my bottom lip and pushed them open, her hands everywhere and nowhere. I was as gentle as I could be, running a hand through her hair and softly stroking her cheek making her shiver. She kissed me again, her tongue gently touching mine and her arm snaking its way around my neck. She placed her bandaged palm on my cheek and her other hand in my hair, running it through. Tears were streaming down her face and I pulled back, wiping them away with my finger. She gave a juddering sob and fell back against the pillows, completely exhausted.

'I-I-I'm sorry…' She sobbed miserably, her head dropping onto her chest in a bid to hide the tears.

'Hey, it's okay, you don't have to apologise. I understand' I sat gently on the bed and felt her fall against me with a quiet sob.

'I don't want this… this blip… to ruin my life Grissom. I don't want what this man did to me to forever be etched in my memory. I know it will… but I want to have a successful relationship that doesn't involve memories flaring up okay? I can't, and I love you Grissom. I don't want you to have to understand. I can't even kiss you without the memories returning. I want to make things work for us but I don't know if I can after this…' Her voice trembled but she carried on speaking until I put a finger gently over her lips.

'Sara… you don't have to rush things. I'll wait forever for you.' I chose my words for the next bit carefully, delegating and deciding. 'You've just had a traumatic experience that will linger in your mind fore a long time. I will wait as long as you need.' I took her hand.

'I don't want you to wait.' She whispered. 'I don't want you to have to understand. I want just you and me, no memories, no pain. But that man stopped that… and I'm not going to make you wait. Please… just hold me tightly… I need to feel safe.' Her voice was trembling and she looked as if she was going to burst into tears again, her lower lip trembled and she sighed loudly, falling back against me. I took her in my arms and stroked her bruised back and rubbed circles into it. She leaned her head against my chest and sighed as I kissed the top of her head gently, feeling her warmth through her thick waves of now-tangled dark hair.

'Just remember… I'm not like the man that did this to you. And I'll be here if you need me. I'll wait forever.'

**A/N: We're nearly done! And then I have other things to do. Have fun reading and *hopefully* reviewing.**


	10. Greg Sanders 3

I was scared; I'm not going to lie, not that I can in my own head anyway. But I was terrified, of losing my job, my friends and my position as a CSI. I never wanted to go back to the lab in my life, I had worked so hard to get out and now I was terrified I would lose everything and end up as just another lab rat.

'Greg? Could you come in here please?' I heard Jim Brass and followed numbly, aware I was about to be interviewed, and I had no answers. I sat on the plastic and metal interview room chair, uncomfortable and worried, sweat pouring down my sides.

'Okay. Greg, you know, as a trained CSI, that moving a body is the worst thing to do when a crime has been committed and the scene is yet to be processed. Yet you moved Sara Sidle from the site and possibly compromised the evidence that could catch the perpetrator. My hands were sweating, slick against the glass – topped table that filled the room. 'Why did you move her?' I thought for a moment before realising that I did, in fact, know why I did it.

'She was bleeding… and I thought that if she was there for longer then we might lose her…'

'That's all very well, but why not phone an ambulance?' Ecklie was conducting the interview, and I realised that I really don't like him, for many reasons besides this. Instead of being scared, I was now angry, insatiably angry with the man in front of him that thought he could scare me, make me feel low and ashamed. I am not ashamed of what I've done; I saved my best friends life. There is nothing to be ashamed of if the life of someone close to you has been saved.

'Because, and the people at the hospital can vouch for me, if Sara had been much later at the hospital, she could have died.'

'Much later?' God I hate that man.

'Five minutes later to be precise, and as you know, the hospital is at least ten minutes away, fifteen in heavy traffic.'

'Right. You do realise you've compromised possibly vital evidence don't you?' This was it… the moment that could ruin the life I'd tried so hard to build, working in the field is my dream and now I'd fulfilled it, there was a chance it might be snatched away from me in an instant.

'Yes… I'm sorry.' I managed to get out; who knew that being interviewed was so stressful, even after sitting in and knowing exactly what happens during one?

'You do realise we do have to punish you?'

'I do.'

'In which case…' I tuned out for a second as they whispered, Ecklie and the sheriff. I hate both of them equally, I truly do. They might ruin my life and not think twice about it. 'You're going on one weeks suspension. Starting now.'

'S-S-Suspension?'

'Yes Greg, suspension. Leave now.' I was so happy, my life was not shattered, I was not going to be just another lab rat ever again. One week's suspension wasn't so bad, I mused. Time to visit Sara in hospital and prepare her for her interrogation, no doubt she'd be having one. I sighed and left the PD, running a hand through my highlighted spikes of hair and sighing deeply. Suspension was still bad, I mean, it would be on my permanent record, how and why I got it. But I wasn't a lab rat. So every cloud right? Right? I can't even convince myself. I need to see her. Tell her about the interrogation she'd be facing. I think I need food first, or coffee, coffee is so much better. I grinned but I was so tired. Sleep is better than coffee. So I guess I'll go and get some sleep.


	11. Sara Sidle 4

I eased myself into a sitting position, casting a glance over at Grissom's chair in the corner of the room. It was empty; but I resisted the temptation to stand up and trawl the hospital for him, knowing he wouldn't have gone far. I did however get out of bed on trembling legs and walk over to his chair, inhaling the familiar scent of him and noticing the corner of a sheet of notepaper poking out from under his jacket. I lifted it out from under his windbreaker and read it slowly, a smile playing on my lips.

_Dear Sara_ it began

_This sounds so formal, I'm getting some food – I'm hungry. If you wake up and read this I'll assume you found it, and if you don't wake up then this was a stupid idea. But if you're reading this, I've gone to eat._

_Love, Gil x_

I nearly laughed at the absurdity of his sentences, and smiled at his thoughtfulness, recognising his cramped handwriting. My stomach still ached, but it wasn't a harsh, sharp pain anymore, it was just a dull throb as the painkiller began to wear off. I manoeuvred myself back into bed, clutching the thin hospital blanket around my shuddering shoulders. I was still sat there when Grissom walked in, a polythene cup of coffee held in one hand.

'Sara!' He exclaimed, placing the drink precariously on the windowsill before coming and sitting on my bed. 'How're you feeling?'

'Rough.' I answered, allowing him to kiss me lightly on the cheek.

'Oh dear… well, the sheriff's here to see you…'

'What? Why?' I was instantly on my guard, shields coming down with astonishing speed.

'He wants to interview,' his nose wrinkled with distaste. 'You about what happened.'

'Oh.' I relaxed, minimally. 'Send him in.' Grissom nodded, squeezed my hand, and left, leaving the room empty for a few precious moments.

'Sara?' I looked up and saw the sheriff, hands on hips and Ecklie beside him.

'Sheriff. Ecklie.' I barely inclined my head.

'We want to ask you some questions pertaining to earlier this evening.'

'Okay.' I told them, steeling myself.

'Sara, you are a trained martial artist, correct?' I nodded warily. 'So why didn't you defend yourself?'

'I was taken by surprise.'

'Uh huh, and when you had recovered could you not had defended yourself?'

'What?' I suddenly saw where he was aiming at. 'You can't think I wanted this!' I asked in a scandalised voice, choking on the very idea.

'No, of course not.' Liar. 'Did your rapist ejaculate?' Rapist, I shuddered at the mere thought.

'I don't think so. Not that I'm aware anyway. Couldn't you tell from the lab results?' I asked frankly, losing my temper at an alarming rate.

'Not back yet.' I sighed in frustration.

'Look, I'm hurting and violated, I was overpowered, something which was not my fault. I didn't want it, but it happened.' I had never been good at keeping my temper in check, and now it was flaring up.

'Right.' The sheriff and Ecklie exchanged bleak looks as they left.

'I didn't ask for this,' I whispered to the empty room, controlling my tears to the best of my ability.

**Sorry for the delay, yadda yadda yadda, enjoy ^_^ And I apologise for the shortness - I was bored ^_^  
**


End file.
